Portions of this collection have been digitized and are available online.

Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) was a dancer, choreographer, and founder of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. The Cunningham Dance Foundation (CDF) was established in 1964 to support the company and advance Cunningham's work. The Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, Inc. records additions hold administrative files, company management and technical files, development files, and repertory files, as well as publicity materials, programs, and photographs.

Processed through a grant from the Merce Cunningham Trust.

Biographical/historical information

Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) was a dancer, choreographer, and founder of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. He was born in Centralia, Washington and began his professional modern dance career at age 20, dancing as a soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Company for six years. Cunningham showed promise as a choreographer and presented his first solo show in 1944, acting as both dancer and choreographer.

In 1953 he formed the Merce Cunningham Dance Company (MCDC) at Black Mountain College. The company included dancers Carolyn Brown, Viola Farber, Paul Taylor, and Remy Charlip, and musicians John Cage and David Tudor.

The company provided a platform for collaboration with John Cage, who was the musical advisor until his death in 1992. Together, Cunningham and Cage proposed a number of innovations; the most famous of these concerned the relationship between dance and music. They believed the two should occur in the same time and space yet be created independently of one another. For Cunningham, the subject of his dances was always dance itself.

MCDC launched its first international tour in 1964, visiting Western and Eastern Europe, India, Thailand, and Japan. The positive reviews the company received on this tour increased the company's demand and popularity in the United States.

MCDC cultivated a body of new music, commissioning more work from contemporary composers than any other dance company. Its repertory included works artists ranging from Cage to bands such as Radiohead. Cage was succeeded by David Tudor, and the company's final musical advisor was Takehisa Kosugi (1995-2012).

Over the years the Company collaborated with many visual artists. Robert Rauschenberg served as the Company's resident designer from 1954 through 1964, followed by Jasper Johns (1967-1980) and Mark Lancaster (1980-1984). The last designers to be appointed were William Anastasi and Dove Bradshaw in 1984. Other artists who have collaborated with MCDC include Daniel Arsham, Tacita Dean, Rei Kawakubo, Roy Lichtenstein, Bruce Nauman, Ernesto Neto, Frank Stella, Benedetta Tagliabue, and Andy Warhol. Rauschenberg returned to contribute the costumes and set design for 1977's Travelogue.

During the 1970s, Cunningham began to explore filming dance, both for posterity and for use as art within his work. MCDC was featured extensively in film and video choreographed by Cunningham. Collaborators Charles Atlas, Nam June Paik, and Elliot Caplan created dance films such as Locale, Split Sides, Beach Birds for Camera, Cage/Cunningham, and Channels/Inserts. In 1989, Cunningham began experimenting with composing dances on the computer using Life Forms, a graphic animation program designed to assist choreographers in creating an initial sketch for their ideas. Trackers (1991) became his first piece composed using this technology.

Invention and reinvention were a hallmark of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and a new genre, the Event, arose from these experiments. Cunningham would piece together different elements from past compositions – solos, duets, costumes, décor, and music, giving new meaning to each piece as it was removed from its original context. Throughout his career he created over 150 individual works and more than 800 Events. Cunningham danced with the company as he aged, and continued to choreograph after he began to use a wheelchair.

CUNNINGHAM DANCE FOUNDATION

In response to the increased demand and a need for financial stability, the Cunningham Dance Foundation (CDF) was established in 1964 to support the company and advance Cunningham's work. CDF was guided by a board of directors made up of arts supporters, donors, and former dancers. Board members had the opportunity to sit on a smaller committee as well, such as the Executive Committee or Financial Committee. A chief concern of the board was maintaining a steady operating budget each year. In their earlier years of operation, large one-time gifts provided almost half of CDF's yearly income, and there was no way to predict the size or frequency of such gifts. Board members were also expected to raise a set sum of money for CDF each year, either from their own funds or through individual fundraising.

Appointed by the board, Art Becofsky (CDF's first executive director) and a staff of eleven managed the day-to-day business of running the dance company. The staff attended to such concerns as company management, marketing and surveys, fundraising, writing grant proposals, and development and long-range planning for the company and the foundation as a whole. Surveys conducted by CDF covered topics such as whether or not there were existing buildings in New York suitable for use as a year-round dance venue. These surveys could later be used by the staff to strenghten grant applications. The ample support provided by CDF allowed Cunningham to focus solely on dance.

CDF worked to secure development funding from grant-giving organizations as well as individual and corporate donors. Money was raised through benefits, art shows, and letter-writing campaigns. CDF also provided support for a Repertory Understudy Group, the Merce Cunningham Archive, and a studio space. The Repertory Understudy Group of the Cunningham Dance Foundation was a training ensemble for potential company members and a laboratory for revivals of Cunningham dances. The Merce Cunningham Studio was a founding member of the National Association of Schools of Dance and served as a home to MCDC from 1971 to 2011. The studio offered classes and professional training in the Cunningham Technique, and also offered affordable studio space to emerging artists.

The Merce Cunningham archive at CDF was maintained by former Cunningham student David Vaughan with the intent of recording the dances and retaining a historical picture of the company. He began collecting material for his own interest in 1959, then filled various managerial roles within CDF until his appointment as archivist in 1976. Working closely with the materials, he eventually authored the book Merce Cunningham: Fifty Years (2005).

THE LEGACY PLAN

CDF worked with Cunningham to develop the Legacy Plan in 2009 to address how the company could transition to a post-founder existence and ensure his creative legacy. The three-year Plan included MCDC's farewell Legacy Tour; career transitions for dancers, musicians, and staff; the creation of digital "Dance Capsules" to preserve Cunningham's work for future generations; and the closure of MCDC and the Foundation and transition to the Merce Cunningham Trust to serve as custodian for Cunningham's artistic legacy.

Cunningham passed away on July 26, 2009. MCDC launched its Legacy Tour in February 2010, which visited nearly 50 cities around the world before culminating in its final performance at New York's Park Avenue Armory on December 31, 2011. Following the end of the tour and the closure of MCDC, CDF ceased to exist in June 2012, and transferred its assets to the Merce Cunningham Trust.

Based at New York City Center, as of 2014 the Trust offers a wide range of programs conceived to preserve and enhance Cunningham's legacy, including Cunningham Technique classes and the Cunningham Fellowship, which supports the restaging of Cunningham dances. The Trust also licenses Cunningham works to dance companies and educational institutions worldwide, supports scholarship on Cunningham and his work, and partners with cultural institutions to mount special exhibitions, performances, and projects that celebrate Cunningham's artistic achievements.

Scope and arrangement

The Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, Inc. records, Additions hold administrative files, company management and technical files, development files, and repertory files, as well as press materials, programs, and photographs. Administrative files consist of Board of Directors material as well as financial ledgers, contracts, film and music documents, and the papers of CDF's archivist, David Vaughan. Company Management files document the technical logistics of touring a dance company. Development files hold grant applications, correspondence with individual donors, and materials related to galas and art sales which supported the company. Repertory files document the creation of individual dances. Press materials consist of clippings, flyers, newsletters, and press releases. Photographs include professional shots of dancers and individual dances, as well as slides and negatives documenting the company and CDF events.

The Cunningham Dance Foundation administrative files consist of Board of Directors material as well as contracts; financial ledgers; artist, film, and sound documents; and the papers of Merce Cunningham and CDF's archivist, David Vaughan. Board of Directors correspondence, arranged alphabetically, includes updates on ongoing projects, items of interest for individuals on specific committees (such as the Financial Committee), reminders to raise a yearly contribution, and resignation and acceptance letters. Board of Directors minutes, arranged by year, hold a record of each meeting, memos, and copies of financial and executive committee reports, as well as information about fundraising efforts. Board meetings covered the financial well being of CDF, election of new members, and strategies for growth.

David Vaughan's files hold correspondence with current and past co-workers, lecture and study notes, writings, and notes compiled using information found in the archive. The notes include a dance-by-dance compilation of information relating to individual compositions by Cunningham. They consist of statements by Cunningham regarding the development or intention of the dance, remembrances of the dances by Vaughan and others, photocopies of articles and related published material, and quotes by Cunningham on the nature of dance in general. Vaughan's notes were ultimately used to compile his 1984 article, "The Choreography of Merce Cunningham: Chronology and Commentary" which is also held in these files.

A limited selection of artist files hold correspondence and designs from visual artists and costume designers who worked with Cunningham. Such designs often preceded a dance – for example, Suzanne Gallo's file holds a fully formed design idea, including costumes, lighting, and sets with no particular dance attached. These files may also contain gallery loan information and summaries of the artist's work. Film files hold correspondence with collaborators on visual projects, video preservation documentation, transcripts and their translations, and video inventories. Sound files consist of correspondence with musical artists and composers, contracts, and scores produced for or used by Cunningham. There is also a small selection of late 19th/early 20th century published sheet music, some of which was used for Dime a Dance (1953). Since Cunningham did not choreograph specifically for music or vice versa, these materials were kept separately. There are also personnel files, financial ledgers, sample dance company contracts, and surveys.

This series also contains a small selection of Merce Cunningham's personal files. These consist of incoming correspondence and "notes to Merce" from staff, presidential invitations and honorary degrees, and the Life Forms manuals for his dance creation software. There are also notes used by Cunningham to conduct classes, workshops, and rehearsal warm-ups.

Electronic records in this series include files created while Elliot Caplan was the filmmaker in residence. These files include correspondence regarding screenings, personal appearances and lectures; reviews of his films; interview requests for Cage/Cunningham; and responses to requests for copies of his films or press kits. Michael Stier's electronic files hold correspondence regarding video licensing and distribution requests and inventories created during his time as CDF's film and video distribution coordinator. David Vaughan's records include drafts of Vaughan's histories of the company by year (1935-1996), video clips compiled for the CDF website, photographs of Cunningham and others, and some individual dance descriptions and biographical information on Merce Cunningham and other artists. There are also copies of the Board of Directors meeting minutes (1992-1999) which are accompanied by company budgets and some staff resumes.

Arranged alphabetically by file type. Electronic records are currently unavailable.

The company management files were created by the administrative staff and various road staff, including stage managers and technical directors. These materials document the logistics of moving a company to its various performances and locations each year. There is correspondence between event organizers, local staff, managers, and CDF staff. Correspondence details lighting, sound, and electrical needs; hotel bookings; rehearsal space rental arrangements; numbers of traveling crew and performers; and local fire codes. There are also loading lists, local contracts, tour itineraries, production schedules, and program mockups. For venues where the company performed regularly (such as City Center), there are close-out notes with suggestions for changes to be made in the next year with light rentals and scenery positioning, as well as reminders of quick fixes that worked. These files track the details of setting an individual dance or series of dances into a specific venue.

Technical files include light plots, instrument schedules, structural drawings, light cues, line set schedules, channel hook-ups, and magic sheets. Magic sheets provided a quick visual reference to each channel and the fixture(s) it controlled. Most of the technical drawings contain production and venue information. Some technical files contain memos advising the house crew working at each venue as to the specific electrical needs of the company.

Electronic records in this series are both company management and technical files, and include tour itineraries, correspondence from production managers to various venues, load-in lists, light cue sheets, and outlines of specific venue configurations.

This series is arranged chronologically. Electronic records are currently unavailable.

The Development files hold grant materials, individual donor files, and material relating to fundraisers and galas hosted by CDF. The grant files consist of grant applications, contracts, vouchers, reports, correspondence with grant-giving organizations and meeting minutes. The bulk of the files are grant applications with the National Endowment for the Arts and New York City's Department for the Development of Cultural Affairs.

Individual donor files hold correspondence thanking non-corporate donors for one time or continuing gifts. These files primarily date from 2009 to 2011, during the height of the campaign to fund the Legacy Plan.

Gala and fundraising files consist of correspondence, invitations, guest books, and planning notes related to CDF's other fundraising opportunities. These include gala performances, art shows and sales, and post-performance "meet and greet" receptions. These files also contain correspondence with artists who donated works to be sold or shown by CDF.

Repertory production files document the creation and packaging of individual dances. Created by Cunningham and collaborating artists and technicians, these files hold original light cues, photographs, costume designs, credit sheets, prop lists, cue sheets, universal stage diagrams, and correspondence with scenic designers. These files document the assembly of a dance up until the minute it is ready to go on the road. Event files often have little to no division between individual Events. For files relating to the mounting of dances at specific venues, users should consult Series II, Company management and technical files.

Electronic records in this series consist of files used to compile the dance capsules. Pioneered by the Cunningham Dance Foundation before it closed, these digital capsules were created to preserve 58 works from the Cunningham repertory for study and setting the dances on other companies. The Events capsule contains files from many separate Events.

The capsules include varying levels of detail in content. Dance capsule files may include a brief description of the dance, audio samples of music, scans of costume sketches, photographs, and set designs, lighting plots, video clips of the entire dance or just a portion, and choreographic notes.

Organized into productions and events, productions are arranged alphabetically by title of piece. Electronic records are currently unavailable.

The photographs series consists of professional prints, slides and negatives of dancers, artists, Cunningham, and individual productions and events. The individuals files are largely headshots, though photographs of Merce Cunningham also consist of unlabeled rehearsal, workshop, and performance shots. The productions and events images are either action shots of the dance in progress or full stage shots of the props and art used in tandem with each piece. There are also candid snapshots from galas and other CDF events, and photographs of posters, magazine covers, and other material related to CDF. Promotional photographs include images of the full company used for advertising. Photographs of the archive as it was housed at CDF before its move to the library are here.

Electronic records in this series are 80 images taken of a Totem Ancestor revival.

Arranged alphabetically by file title. Electronic records are currently unavailable.

Series VI holds programs and accompanying ephemera documenting performances by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and the Repertory Understudy group. The bulk of the materials date from 2003 to 2011, and contain some promotional materials interspersed with the programs. These items include venue calendars, ticket stubs, souvenir booklets, flyers, postcards, organizational publications, and invitations. A smaller selection of programs dating from 1950 to 2002 are also present, as well as materials representing the performances of Cunningham choreography by outside dance companies. This series also holds monographs, exhibition catalogs, and other materials showcasing festivals, lectures, art installations, tribute galas, and other events involving Cunningham and his collaborators (including John Cage, Charles Atlas, Bruce Nauman, Robert Rauschenberg and fashion house Comme des Garçons).

Press and publicity materials consist of advertising files, clippings, flyers, CDF newsletters, and press releases. Advertising files hold correspondence with dance magazines and other publications as well as design mockups. The clippings (both domestic and foreign) were kept by administrative staff throughout CDF's existence. Many of the clippings are photocopy reproductions. Press releases document new works, changes at the company, tour dates, and fundraising galas. CDF newsletters (2006-2008) were sent to donors, other dance companies, and various other supporters of Cunningham's work and provided updates on upcoming events and seasons, as well as articles by Cunningham himself. The flyers, used for advertisement on tour and when the company was in residence at City Center or another venue, advertise performance dates, ticket sale times, and workshops.

Electronic records in this series are scanned clippings, 1989-1990.

Arranged alphabetically by file title. Electronic records are currently unavailable.

Administrative information

Custodial history

The records were assembled and arranged in part by company archivist David Vaughan.

Source of acquisition

Purchased from Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, Inc., 1999.

Processing information

Compiled by Lea Jordan, 2014

The floppy disks and hard drive that comprise the Electronic Records were forensically imaged for preservation. Posters from this collection were removed and cataloged separately. A pastel of an American coot was removed from the collection and is cataloged separately under the number *MGZGA Cun M Ame 1.